1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved process and apparatus for saponification reactions and the like, e.g. to produce liquid soaps, on a batch scale over a sufficiently short time interval to effect a semicontinuous process. Typically, the reaction times are in the order of about 2-8 minutes, and reactor vessel capacities are of about 1-25 gallons, or greater.
2. Statement of Related Art
The chemical industry manufactures a wide variety of liquid soaps at plant sites in large quantities for shipping in container cars, drums, etc. The containers are then returned to the site and refilled. In the case of drums, they are usually washed prior to return, which creates a waste disposal problem. In addition, when shipping from a chemical manufacturing plant, the weight of water diluent in the liquid soap represents a transportation expense. Today, the manufacture of liquid soaps used in industry no longer poses a manufacturing problem from the chemical standpoint. The greater problem is posed in transportation of chemically toxic wastes, and in use of reactors which are economically effective in both large and small scale manufacture of the product.
Obviously, it would be far less expensive to ship raw materials to the site of use and manufacture the liquid soap at that particular site. This would enable the raw materials to be shipped in bulk, without water, and then be pumped out of, say, tanker cars, or large containers directly into a saponification reactor vessel.